The Red Sox acquired 2016 All-Star Eduardo Núñez from the Giants in exchange for two minor league pitching prospects. Núñez will be with the team on Friday for the start of a 10-game homestand at Fenway.

You might remember Núñez, 30, from his days with the New York Yankees, where he broke into the big leagues playing in 30 games for The Bombers in 2010.

The right-handed shortstop (245 career games), third baseman (226) and left fielder (36) was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Núñez stayed with New York for four seasons (slashing .267 AVG/.313 OBP/.379 SLG in 270 games) before being traded to the Twins for lefty pitcher Miguel Sulbaran, who never reached the majors. Núñez played in 235 games with Minnesota over three seasons (.280/.311/.422) then went to the Giants last July in a deal for another pitcher, Adalberto Mejia. With San Francisco, Núñez has appeared in 126 games (.293/.331/.417).

So far in 2017, Núñez is 93-for-302 (.308) with a .334 on-base percentage and .417 slugging percentage. He’s hitting lefties and righties about equally. His .348 AVG is the fourth highest in the majors since June 1 (minimum 100 plate appearances), which included a torrid 9-for-16 in his final four games with San Francisco (.563).

Núñez’ 2017 AVG ties him to the best Red Sox mark with Dustin Pedroia. His OBP and SLG are both about middle of the pack on his new club. Núñez has 18 stolen bases this season, fifth-most in National League. His 40 SB last season were fifth most in the majors.

Núñez the toughest player to strikeout in all of baseball this season, averaging a SO ever 10.4 at-bats (Mookie Betts is second on that list at 9.6).

At Fenway Park, Núñez owns a career .284 AVG/.333 OBP/.405 SLG slash line over 23 games. His .739 OPS in Boston is his fourth-best mark among any ballpark where he’s played (minimum 20 games).

In return for Núñez the Red Sox sent righty pitchers Shaun Anderson, 22, and Gregory Santos, 17, to the Giants. Anderson is 6-3 with a 3.42 ERA in 18 starts between Single-A Greenville and High-A Salem this season. Santos has made seven starts for the Dominican Summer League Sox in 2017, going 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA.

Despite what looked a decent enough lead, there seemed little doubt that momentum had shifted and that the Red Sox were heading for a defeat shortly after the Twins’ half of the 8th inning opened on Sunday.

That pivotal 8th inning began with Boston up 7-4 but the bullpen pair of Matt Barnes and Robby Scott couldn’t hold on. Minnesota scored twice and then, with just a one-run lead, just one man out, a runner on third and Joe Mauer stepping to the plate, Manager John Farrell wisely went to Craig Kimbrel for what, at the time, would be his first career five-out close. Kimbrel worked Mauer to a full count before punching him out with a called strike that just grazed the outer edge of the zone. Kimbrel then dispatched Max Kepler on three straight pitches to end the threat.

At this point, a one-run lead was hardly comfortable. Little did we know the Sox’ offensive powder keg was about to explode.

The day had started with a Chris Sale outing that wasn’t nearly as crisp as his others this season. Sales worked 6.0 IP and ultimately came away a win that included another 10 strikeouts. But he walked three and allowed four earned runs over 108 pitches. Indeed, Sale’s 4.37 ERA over 25 career appearances is his highest mark against all American League opponents. Still, when he left the game, Boston led Minnesota 6-4.

Sox Keep The Line Moving

Now, after scuffling in the bottom of the eight, some insurance in the top of the ninth was in order. The inning opened with a Mookie Betts ground out on a close but unchallenged play. But then Dustin Pedroia, who had homered earlier in the game, drew a walk. Xander Bogaerts, hitless to that point in the game, extended his hitting streak to 11-games with a double. Andrew Benintendi was intentionally walked to load the bases, but there would be no double play. Instead, Hanley Ramírez, who had walked three times earlier in the game, hit a solid single for that coveted insurance RBI. Bases re-loaded, Mitch Moreland stroked yet another of his signature doubles, his MLB-best 15th of the season, and Boston was now comfortably in front 10-6. But the Red Sox were just beginning.

Chris Young belted a second double of the game, two more score. The Twins tried a new pitcher. Sandy León responded with his second home run of the game, his very first multi-HR game and his third roundtripper in the past two games. By now, it was 14-6. Deven Marrero grounded out so that sent Betts back to the plate for a second time in the inning. This time he smoked a double to center field. Pedroia reached on sloppy Twins fielding. Chase d’Arnaud, running for Pedey, then came around to score on a Bogaerts triple, his second extra-bit hit of the inning.

Minnesota manager Paul Molitor had, once again, seen enough. He called on one-time Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow who promptly walked Ramírez to load the bases then walked Moreland to score the Sox’ 17th run. A Young fly out finally ended the inning, 39 minutes and ten runs after it had begun. Gone was the notion of a close game and gone, too, was the need for three more outs from Kimbrel. Instead, Joe Kelly mopped up what was left of the game.

The 17 runs were the most scored by the Red Sox on the road against the Twins or their predecessors, the Washington Senators, since at least 1913. It was the most scored against the Twins since beating the club 17-7 at Fenway on May 20, 1986.

AL-Best For Scoring In A Single Inning

Sunday’s ten Red Sox runs in the 9th was was the biggest run scoring inning by any American League team this season but nowhere near the MLB record, which is 18 by the Cubs in the 7th inning of a game on September 6, 1883.

Since 1900, the record for the most runs scored in a single inning is held by the Red Sox, who amassed 17 runs in the 7th inning against the Tigers on June 18, 1953. Since 1900, the most runs ever scored in a 9th inning is 13 by the Angels over the Rangers on September 14, 1978, and by also by the Tigers on August 8, 2001, in a game that was also played against the Rangers.

On April 8, the Phillies scored 12 against the Nationals in the first inning, the most by any MLB team so far in 2017.

We shouldn’t expect miracles from him, but the Red Sox Saturday made official the naming of Carl Willis, 54, as the club’s major league pitching coach.

The Danville, Virginia native was drafted by the Tigers in the 23rd round of the 1983 amateur draft. He went on to pitch primarily as a reliever over 9 seasons in the big leagues appearing in 267 total games with stops in Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago, and Minnesota. With the Twins, “Big Train” posted a 2.63 ERA in 40 games of their 1991 World Series campaign.

After his playing career, Willis held a number of minor league coaching positions with the Cleveland organization before being promoted to Indians pitching coach from 2003-2009. There he worked with Cy Young Award winners CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. From 2010-2013 he was the pitching coach for the Seattle Mariners, working with Felix Hernandez.

Most recently Willis was pitching coach for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, who coincidentally faced the Pawtucket Red Sox this weekend.

Manager John Farrell knows Willis well, as the two worked together throughout Farrell’s stint as Director of Player Development for the Indians from 2001-2006.

Work cut out

In joining the Red Sox Willis will have his work cut out for himself. The pitching staff has thus far allowed 5.21 opponent runs per game this season, the most in the American League and 3rd-most in baseball. Boston pitchers are throwing 62.2% of their pitches for strikes, the 2nd-lowest rate in the AL behind the Blue Jays.

Red Sox pitchers are last in the American League for ERA (4.95), hits allowed (273), and earned runs allowed (145).

The Red Sox say Willis will join the club in Toronto for the series finale on Sunday.